Compare Occupations

SUMMARY
63%
High Risk
24%
Low Risk
46%
Moderate Risk
45%
Moderate Risk
36%
Low Risk
53%
Moderate Risk
JOB SCORE 4.2/10 6.8/10 6.8/10 5.0/10 4.1/10 4.4/10
POLLING
39%
(Low Risk, Based on 25 votes)
There hasn't been enough votes on this occupation yet
29%
(Low Risk, Based on 49 votes)
32%
(Low Risk, Based on 21 votes)
60%
(High Risk, Based on 20 votes)
44%
(Moderate Risk, Based on 26 votes)
GROWTH
by year 2034
1.6%
5.3%
5.8%
1.7%
1.7%
3.0%
WAGES
$67,370
or $32.39 per hour
$78,690
or $37.83 per hour
$63,980
or $30.76 per hour
$83,600
or $40.19 per hour
$85,750
or $41.22 per hour
$49,070
or $23.59 per hour
VOLUME
as of 2024
16,480
806,080
180,270
8,210
23,320
151,750
SNOWFLAKE [?] The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes. Snowflake diagram for Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators Snowflake diagram for First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers Snowflake diagram for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines Snowflake diagram for Signal and Track Switch Repairers Snowflake diagram for Transportation Inspectors Snowflake diagram for Highway Maintenance Workers
DESCRIPTION Lay, repair, and maintain track for standard or narrow-gauge railroad equipment used in regular railroad service or in plant yards, quarries, sand and gravel pits, and mines. Includes ballast cleaning machine operators and railroad bed tamping machine operators. Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers. Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul mobile mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic equipment, such as cranes, bulldozers, graders, and conveyors, used in construction, logging, and mining. Install, inspect, test, maintain, or repair electric gate crossings, signals, signal equipment, track switches, section lines, or intercommunications systems within a railroad system. Inspect equipment or goods in connection with the safe transport of cargo or people. Includes rail transportation inspectors, such as freight inspectors, rail inspectors, and other inspectors of transportation vehicles not elsewhere classified. Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement and repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road, or plow snow from roadway.

Compare Occupations Side by Side

Curious how automation and AI could affect your career? Our comparison tool lets you view two or more jobs side by side, helping you quickly spot differences in risk level, pay, growth, and popularity. All of this is based on a mix of academic research, user polling, and official labour data.

Automation Risk

Each occupation shows a probability of automation. A higher score means machines and algorithms are more likely to take over the role in the future.

Job Score

A quick summary of how a job performs overall — factoring in wages, growth, volume, and automation risk. It’s a handy way to see the bigger picture at a glance.

Polling Data

Thousands of visitors cast their votes on how “automatable” each job feels. These community insights are shown alongside the calculated probabilities.

Growth & Wages

See how fast each occupation is projected to grow and what people earn on average. High wages don’t always mean high security — automation risk still matters.

Volume of Workers

Explore how many people currently work in each occupation and in which year the data was recorded. Popularity can affect how disruptive automation will be for the wider economy.

The Snowflake Diagram

Each snowflake visualises the balance between automation risk, wages, growth, and job volume. Bigger and greener areas mean stronger performance in that dimension.

Use this comparison page to research careers, guide students, or simply explore the future of work. All data is regularly updated to keep the results relevant.